Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern FA Rumors: Kuzma, Kyrie, Bridges, Crowder, Sixers

June 30th, 2023 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent forward Kyle Kuzma is seeking a contract “well above the mid-level exception,” according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, but it’s unclear which cap-room team might give him that sort of offer, especially if the Rockets and Pacers use their space on other players.

As Fischer writes, the Jazz were viewed as a legitimate suitor for Kuzma, but that option is almost certainly off the table following Utah’s deal for John Collins. People around the league have begun to consider it increasingly likely that Kuzma could re-sign with the Wizards, according to Fischer. While the Wizards are in the process of reshaping their roster, they’ll have Kuzma’s Bird rights and could view him as a future tradable asset as long as they don’t overpay him.

Here are more free agent rumors from around the Eastern Conference:

Following up on a report stating that Kyrie Irving had the Heat on his list of teams to meet with in free agency, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link) cites a source who says the Heat have no meeting scheduled with the star point guard. Irving will, however, meet with the Rockets, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Interestingly, Fischer writes that the Hornets “don’t appear to have a straightforward path to re-sign” restricted free agent forward Miles Bridges. According to Fischer, Bridges and his representatives have broached the idea of Charlotte pulling its qualifying offer to make him unrestricted. Based on Fischer’s report, it sounds like Bridges’ camp may not feel confident about its leverage in talks with the Hornets entering the summer. The forward isn’t eligible to be signed-and-traded because he wasn’t on Charlotte’s roster last season.
Although Jae Crowder is considered likely to re-sign with the Bucks, the veteran forward has also drawn interest from the Heat, league sources tell Fischer.
While the Sixers may be fairly quiet at the start of free agency, it’s possible it won’t take the team long to come to an agreement with restricted free agent Paul Reed, according to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com. The team’s odds of bringing back Georges Niang, Jalen McDaniels, or Shake Milton don’t appear as strong. A source tell Neubeck that Niang may get “a nice chunk of money” from a rival suitor on the first day of free agency. Milton is unlikely to return to Philadelphia, while McDaniels’ free agency could take some time to play out, Neubeck adds.

Free Agent Rumors: Brown, Lakers, Bridges, Cavs, Heat, Love

June 29th, 2023 at 1:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers are “increasingly confident” about their chances of signing Bruce Brown using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, multiple sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

The Denver Post first reported on Wednesday that the Lakers have “significant” interest in Brown. A subsequent report suggested that the Nuggets‘ free agent guard may receive offers worth more than the mid-level, which would be virtually impossible for L.A. to match. However, Buha’s latest report suggests the Lakers still feel good about their odds of landing the versatile guard.

As Buha details, there’s a path for the Lakers to re-sign D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura while also using the full mid-level exception, which would hard-cap their team salary at approximately $172MM. That path would require the club to decline Malik Beasley‘s $16.5MM team option and waive Mohamed Bamba, whose $10.3MM salary is non-guaranteed.

Here are a few more free agent rumblings from around the NBA:

The Cavaliers have interest in Hornets restricted free agent Miles Bridges, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. However, with only the mid-level exception to offer, Cleveland is a long shot to land Bridges, given that Charlotte would match a mid-level offer sheet “in an instant,” Fedor writes. Sources tell Cleveland.com that Bridges’ camp is expecting a significantly higher per-year salary.
Elsewhere within his look at the Cavaliers‘ options in free agency, Fedor says Max Strus would be near the top of the team’s wish list if he’s attainable with the mid-level exception, which he may not be. Fedor adds that Cleveland is in the market for more forward depth in addition to a two-way wing, naming Georges Niang as a possible target.
The Heat and Kevin Love have mutual interest in working out a new deal, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Miami only holds Love’s Non-Bird rights, so he’d likely have to accept a minimum-salary contract or something slightly above that if he wants to return.
In an entertaining piece for GQ.com, Howard Beck speaks to a number of anonymous team executives about their expectations for the NBA’s 2023 offseason.

Eastern Notes: Hornets, Quickley, Bulls, Dobner

June 29th, 2023 at 8:44am CST by Arthur Hill

A report last Thursday that the Hornets were giving renewed consideration to taking Scoot Henderson with the No. 2 pick was a late attempt to get the Trail Blazers to trade up, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports said on the Basketball Illuminati Podcast.

“I don’t think this was done (with) betting markets, conspiracy, blah, blah, blah,” Fischer said (hat tip to Real GM). “I think the Hornets tried to get a little savvy.”

Fischer points out that Charlotte general manager Mitch Kupchak tried a similar tactic in 2015 when he had the No. 2 pick as GM of the Lakers. Kupchak was deciding between D’Angelo Russell and Jahlil Okafor and didn’t communicate to their agents what he planned to do.

“I believe the Hornets did not tell Brandon Miller or Scoot until right on the clock that they were going either direction to continue that misdirection, mystery or whatever you call,” Fischer added. “I think it was a concerted effort by the Hornets to drum up some trade interest there.”

There’s more from the Eastern Conference:

An NBA executive tells Sean Deveney of Heavy.com that he thinks Immanuel Quickley will want “nine figures” over four years in his extension talks this summer. The Knicks guard helped his bargaining position with an outstanding third season that saw him finish second in the Sixth Man of the Year voting. “I can’t say the Knicks will go that high but they might have to,” the executive said. “He is not a guy you want to send to restricted free agency.”
The Bulls didn’t address their need for outside shooting in the draft, so they’re likely to look for shooters in free agency, per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Chicago’s only pick was Julian Phillips, who shot 23.9% from behind the arc on 46 attempts last season at Tennessee. The Bulls ranked last in three-point attempts per game the past two years, and general manager Marc Eversley believes recently hired shooting coach Peter Patton will help. “Peter comes to us not only as a shooting coach but somebody who can oversee our player development function,” Eversley said. “… And we feel like he can help the overall look and feel of how we play the game and shoot the ball.”
Sidney Dobner will be the first female assistant coach in the history of the Bucks, the team stated in a press release announcing Adrian Griffin‘s staff. This will be Dobner’s sixth season with the franchise.

Southeast Notes: Oubre, Poole, Vukcevic, Magic

June 28th, 2023 at 9:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

An abundance of wing players makes it unlikely that the Hornets will re-sign Kelly Oubre, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. The free agent forward has expressed a desire to stay in Charlotte and was a valuable contributor last season, but there may not be enough playing time for him with the new roster.

The addition of No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller and the expected return of Miles Bridges reduce the need for Oubre, Boone adds. Gordon Hayward will be back for another season unless the Hornets can find a taker for his $31.5MM expiring contract, and Cody Martin and Bryce McGowens will also compete for playing time.

Oubre has spent the past two seasons in Charlotte after signing as a free agent in 2021. He averaged 17.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 124 games and was effective both as a starter and coming off the bench.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Jordan Poole should be the focal point of the Wizards‘ offense next season, Josh Robbins and Anthony Slater of The Athletic state in a look at what he’ll bring to Washington. The Wizards have already traded Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis, and Kyle Kuzma may be leaving in free agency. Without their top three scorers from last season, much of the offense will flow through Poole, who showed an ability to carry the scoring load at times with the Warriors. Robbins notes that coach Wes Unseld Jr. gave Kuzma the freedom to create his own shots, which will likely also happen with Poole.
In an interview with NBC Sports Washington, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said he was happy to land Serbian center Tristan Vukcevic with the 42nd pick in last week’s draft. “Young, 20 years old. He’s played internationally, I feel like I’ve watched him for a long time now, since he was a youth as well,” Dawkins said. “With him, seven feet, skilled, can pass, can shoot.” It hasn’t been determined if the Wizards will bring Vukcevic to the NBA next season or have him spend more time in Europe, but Dawkins plans to talk to his representatives about having him play in Summer League.
Dylan Murphy is the new head coach for the Magic‘s G League affiliate in Osceola, the team announced (via Twitter). Murphy has been with Orlando for five years and was an assistant coach for the last three seasons.

Hornets Acquire No. 31 Pick James Nnaji

June 28th, 2023 at 6:03pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JUNE 28: The trade is now official, according to the Hornets (Twitter link).

JUNE 22: Having already traded down from No. 25 to No. 31, the Celtics are moving down again, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), who reports that Boston is sending the first pick of the second round to the Hornets in exchange for Nos. 34 and 39.

Charlotte is using the No. 31 pick to draft Nigerian center James Nnaji, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Across 27 games of Liga ACB play with FC Barcelona during the 2022/23 season, the 6’11” big man averaged just 4.9 PPG on 67.1% field goal shooting, along with 3.0 RPG and 0.7 BPG.

Clearly a longer-term project, the 18-year-old must have impressed Charlotte scouts with his athleticism and size. He boasts a 7’5″ wingspan. The Hornets have enjoyed an active draft thus far, headlined by the selection of Alabama small forward Brandon Miller with the second pick this season.

The Celtics, meanwhile, subsequently flipped the No. 34 selection to the Kings and then moved the No. 39 selection to the Hawks for future draft equity. Boston did acquire one rookie in the second round, Arkansas forward Jordan Walsh, with the No. 38 pick acquired in a deal with the Kings.

Hornets Extend QOs to Washington, Bridges, Maledon

June 28th, 2023 at 4:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hornets have made qualifying offers to P.J. Washington, Miles Bridges and Theo Maledon, the team announced (via Twitter). All three players will be restricted when free agency begins on Friday.

Washington will be a highly sought-after target on the free agent market, and extending the QO gives Charlotte the opportunity to match any offer he receives. The 24-year-old power forward is coming off his best NBA season, averaging 15.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 73 games. His qualifying offer will be $8,486,620.

Charlotte is reportedly interested in bringing back Bridges, who sat out sat out all of last season after pleading no contest to felony domestic violence. General manager Mitch Kupchak declined to comment on Bridges at a post-draft press conference, but rival front offices believe he’ll re-sign with the Hornets. Bridges’ qualifying offer is worth $7,744,600.

Maledon appeared in 44 games for Charlotte after signing a two-way contract shortly before the start of last season. His qualifying offer is equivalent to another one-year, two-way deal.

Raptors Rumors: VanVleet, Poeltl, Siakam, Trent, Anunoby, Poole

June 28th, 2023 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors believe that they can be “a factor” in the East next season by bringing back the same core, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Although Toronto missed the playoffs in 2022/23, the team is apparently confident that a coaching change and a full offseason for this group will help make a difference in ’23/24.

Returning the same core would mean re-signing point guard Fred VanVleet and center Jakob Poeltl, two of the top free agents on the 2023 market. According to Grange, the Raptors are expected to meet with VanVleet in Los Angeles on Friday when free agency opens and are working out plans to link up with Poeltl as well.

Like other reporters, Grange has heard that Houston may be preparing a two-year contract offer in excess of $80MM for VanVleet, which would probably be more than Toronto is willing to pay on an annual basis. However, the Raptors – who might be open to a three- or four-year deal – believe the veteran guard wants to remain in Toronto and is still confident about their ability to bring him back.

As for Poeltl, there has been a belief that the big man will be back in the fold if the Raptors make a four-year offer in the neighborhood of $80MM, Grange says. However, multiple league sources tell Sportsnet.ca that the Spurs – keen on pairing Victor Wembanyama with a veteran center – have inquired about the possibility of reuniting with Poeltl. The Spurs will have the cap room necessary to make life difficult for Toronto if they choose to pursue the 27-year-old, who was dealt from San Antonio to Toronto in February.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Multiple teams have inquired about Pascal Siakam‘s availability, Grange reports. Besides the Hawks, Grange identifies the Hornets, Mavericks, Rockets, Pelicans, and Kings as clubs that have made calls about the two-time All-NBA forward. The Raptors have been open to listening, but not many of the conversations they’ve had about Siakam even qualify as “preliminary” trade discussions, according to Grange.
While Gary Trent Jr.‘s camp has conveyed interest in working out an extension after he picked up his 2023/24 player option, the Raptors are taking a wait-and-see approach and haven’t made plans to formally discuss a new deal with Trent in the near future, Grange writes.
Before agreeing to trade Jordan Poole to Washington, the Warriors reached out to the Raptors to see if they’d be interested in a deal centered around Poole and forward OG Anunoby, reports Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. Toronto didn’t have interest in exploring the idea further.

And-Ones: Mannion, Qualifying Offers, 2024 Draft, D-Lo, Hayward

June 25th, 2023 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Warriors guard Nico Mannion is signing with Baskonia in Spain, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets, calling it a done deal. Mannion played the last two seasons in his home country of Italy with Virtus Segafredo Bologna. He played 30 games with Golden State during the 2020/21 season after being drafted in the second round.

Because the Warriors issued a two-way qualifying offer to Mannion in 2021 and again in 2022, they still control his RFA rights in the event that he decides to return to the NBA. That would change if they decide not to extend that QO this year or in a future season.

We have more news from around the basketball world:

Good news for restricted free agents in future seasons — there’s a 10% increase in qualifying offers that teams must make to those players or else they become unrestricted. However, according to Mike Vornukov of The Athletic (Twitter link), it doesn’t apply to restricted free agents this summer — instead, the stipulation in the new CBA begins with this year’s rookie class. In another tweak, offer sheets for future restricted free agents will have a new deadline. If a team that has to make a decision on whether to match an offer sheet receives it before noon ET, that team has until 11:59 p.m. ET the next day to match. If it’s received after 12 p.m. ET, that team has until 11:59 pm ET two days later.
Now that the 2023 draft is behind us, what might the 2024 draft look like? ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo provide an early glimpse of next year’s draft class, doing a mock draft that includes both rounds. They predict G League Ignite guards Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis will be the first players off the board.
With the Lakers drafting Jalen Hood-Schifino, it may decrease the possibility they will try to re-sign free agent D’Angelo Russell, Cydney Henderson of USA Today writes. Gordon Hayward‘s future with the Hornets is very much in doubt with the addition of forward and No. 2 pick Brandon Miller, Henderson also notes.

And-Ones: Whitmore, Mavs, Blazers, Summer League, CBA

June 23rd, 2023 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

In conversations with sources around the NBA, John Hollinger of The Athletic noticed two reasons being frequently cited to explain Cam Whitmore‘s draft-night slide from possible top-five pick to being selected at No. 20 by the Rockets.

According to Hollinger, some teams red-flagged Whitmore’s medicals due to concerns about his knees. Clubs were also underwhelmed by his pre-draft workouts and interviews, with one source who spoke to Hollinger using the descriptor “comatose.”

Within his post-draft wrap-up, Hollinger also praised the Mavericks for the modest price they paid to move off Davis Bertans‘ contract in one salary-dump trade (moving down from No. 10 to 12) relative to the nice return they got for accepting Richaun Holmes‘ contract in a second salary-dump deal (the No. 24 pick, which became Olivier-Maxence Prosper).

Additionally, Hollinger believes the Trail Blazers no longer need to “cower in fear” about the possibility of Damian Lillard requesting a trade, since the duo of Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe looks like the team’s backcourt of the future and is a strong foundation to build around. Whatever happens with Lillard going forward figures to have a ripple effect on Anfernee Simons, according to Hollinger, who notes that it’s probably untenable to have Simons making $20MM per year in Portland as a fourth guard.

Here are more odds and ends from around the NBA:

Assuming they suit up in Las Vegas, the top two picks in the draft will go head-to-head on the first day of the Vegas Summer League. As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes, the Spurs (Victor Wembanyama) and Hornets (Brandon Miller) are scheduled to face one another on July 7. Reynolds also provides details on some of the other most notable matchups on the newly announced Summer League schedule.
Breaking down the restrictions that teams above the NBA’s new second tax apron will face beginning next offseason, cap expert Albert Nahmad tweets that those clubs won’t be permitted to trade for a player who was previously acquired via sign-and-trade.
While details on the new Collective Bargaining Agreement keep trickling out publicly and teams have seen the term sheet, the NBA has yet to distribute the full CBA to clubs, tweets Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. The CBA set to take effect when the new league year begins next Saturday (July 1), so the league is taking it down to the wire. According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), the NBA had hoped to have the CBA completed in full by Monday of this week.

Hornets Notes: Miller, Ball, Bridges, Washington, Free Agency

June 23rd, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

For all the outside speculation about who the Hornets would take with their No. 2 pick, general manager Mitch Kupchak says the team never wavered in its commitment to Brandon Miller, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Kupchak admits serious consideration was given to G League Ignite star Scoot Henderson, as both players were brought in Monday for a second workout and a meeting with team owner Michael Jordan. Miller solidified his status at that session, Kupchak confirmed in a post-draft press conference Thursday night.

“It wasn’t the easiest of decisions, but Brandon was our favorite all along,” he said. “A lot of spirited discussion the last three or four days, which I welcome, and I think it’s good for the basketball department to discuss pros and cons, pluses and minuses, argue a little bit. So, obviously, our opinion from the beginning did not change.”

The Hornets were attracted to Miller because he’s a better fit alongside point guard LaMelo Ball and he gives the team another outside shooting threat, connecting at 38.4% from long distance at Alabama this season. Although Charlotte was firm in its decision to take the freshman forward, he wasn’t told before the pick was announced by Commissioner Adam Silver.

“I found out literally when they were calling my name,” Miller said. “I was still on the phone. My reaction was a lot of excitement, smiles, hugs and handshakes. I knew my mom was going to cry, she was going to shed a tear. But there’s nothing wrong with crying, I think it happens to the best.”

There’s more from Charlotte:

Kupchak also offered an update on Ball, who underwent surgery on March 1 for a fractured right ankle, Boone states in a separate story. “His rehab, the bone was probably 100% healed six weeks ago,” Kupchak said. “In terms of MRIs and X-rays, it’s 100% healed. He’s been on the basketball court for four to six weeks, running, shooting, jumping. He has not scrimmaged yet. He’s not played one-on-one, two-on-two. He could, but we are not even July 1 yet. What’s the rush? So, he’s … I can’t say ahead of schedule. This is exactly what the doctor expected, so we are good.”
Kupchak refused to talk about the possible return of Miles Bridges, who sat out all of last season after pleading no contest to felony domestic violence, Boone adds. However, Kupchak told reporters that re-signing free agent forward P.J. Washington remains a priority for the offseason.
The Hornets will try to find a veteran leader for their young team in free agency, tweets Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer. Kupchak said there are players on the roster who can eventually grow into leaders, but he doesn’t see anyone who’s ready for that role yet.